I'm Hugo. I'm 19, French, and I want to become a software engineer and data scientist.
I wish to use the skills I gain along the way to help people & businesses and add value.
For the next three months, I'll be freelancing doing software.
Why?
Recently, I was accepted to an software engineering school. The issue is that it's far away, so I'll have to relocate and pay for an apartment. The other issue is that I had 0€ to my name just a year ago. After a year of saving up and reselling on eBay, making many mistakes along the way which helped me learn, I've got about 2.5k, which is not enough to cover my stay for a year and all one-time expenses.
After some calculations, my living expenses will be around 400€/mo in the worst case, and I'll stay for 10 months, coming back home during the summer. So my goal would be to earn 4000€ to cover my expenses.
I talked about this with my mom, who suggested that I get a job as a cashier during this summer and the next two, in order to cover the rent for next year and not have to work during the school year. Now I love my mom, but working as a cashier for the next three months, in a job where I learn nothing sounds like a lot of BS .
So, instead I've taken it into my own hands to earn 4000€ during the next three months. My deadline is September 1, because that's when the school year starts.
How?
I've learned providing value is a nice way to earn money. Looking inwards, what can I offer that can add value to someone else?
I could start my eBay reselling business again. The problem is that it's low value - I'm not creating anything, just arbitraging prices and making money off the margins. It's also a very easy business, so profits are low.
I needed something more immediate, so I turned to my own skills. For the last two years I've worked both in and outside of school to acquire software engineering skills.
I decided to put them to use: doing freelancing as a short-term strategy, for the next three months. Afterwards, I'll assess my situation and adjust accordingly.
In the worst case, I execute everyday, learn many lessons, and get a sizable portfolio and skills that can be reused later down the road.
In the best case, I have strong earning potential and can pivot somewhere else, while knowing I can fallback on my skills when capital is tight.
What?
Right now, I'll be freelancing on Upwork. I'll stick to one very specific niche: data visualization with d3.js. The barrier to entry is high, because d3 is hard, and data visualization is tricky in general. I also know React, and the MERN stack, from a full stack course. I've done one data visualization for Upwork before in d3+React, which I'll be leveraging, and then build up my portfolio further to gain trust.
I have an remote internship that's required to complete my current school until June 26. During that time I will be working during the week after my internship, and fully during the weekend. After the internship, I'll have unbounded time to freelance.
I'll keep this thread updated during this time and share both my failures and successes. Feel free to comment as I progress.
I wish to use the skills I gain along the way to help people & businesses and add value.
For the next three months, I'll be freelancing doing software.
Why?
Recently, I was accepted to an software engineering school. The issue is that it's far away, so I'll have to relocate and pay for an apartment. The other issue is that I had 0€ to my name just a year ago. After a year of saving up and reselling on eBay, making many mistakes along the way which helped me learn, I've got about 2.5k, which is not enough to cover my stay for a year and all one-time expenses.
After some calculations, my living expenses will be around 400€/mo in the worst case, and I'll stay for 10 months, coming back home during the summer. So my goal would be to earn 4000€ to cover my expenses.
I talked about this with my mom, who suggested that I get a job as a cashier during this summer and the next two, in order to cover the rent for next year and not have to work during the school year. Now I love my mom, but working as a cashier for the next three months, in a job where I learn nothing sounds like a lot of BS .
So, instead I've taken it into my own hands to earn 4000€ during the next three months. My deadline is September 1, because that's when the school year starts.
How?
I've learned providing value is a nice way to earn money. Looking inwards, what can I offer that can add value to someone else?
I could start my eBay reselling business again. The problem is that it's low value - I'm not creating anything, just arbitraging prices and making money off the margins. It's also a very easy business, so profits are low.
I needed something more immediate, so I turned to my own skills. For the last two years I've worked both in and outside of school to acquire software engineering skills.
I decided to put them to use: doing freelancing as a short-term strategy, for the next three months. Afterwards, I'll assess my situation and adjust accordingly.
In the worst case, I execute everyday, learn many lessons, and get a sizable portfolio and skills that can be reused later down the road.
In the best case, I have strong earning potential and can pivot somewhere else, while knowing I can fallback on my skills when capital is tight.
What?
Right now, I'll be freelancing on Upwork. I'll stick to one very specific niche: data visualization with d3.js. The barrier to entry is high, because d3 is hard, and data visualization is tricky in general. I also know React, and the MERN stack, from a full stack course. I've done one data visualization for Upwork before in d3+React, which I'll be leveraging, and then build up my portfolio further to gain trust.
I have an remote internship that's required to complete my current school until June 26. During that time I will be working during the week after my internship, and fully during the weekend. After the internship, I'll have unbounded time to freelance.
I'll keep this thread updated during this time and share both my failures and successes. Feel free to comment as I progress.
Dislike ads? Become a Fastlane member:
Subscribe today and surround yourself with winners and millionaire mentors, not those broke friends who only want to drink beer and play video games. :-)
Membership Required: Upgrade to Expose Nearly 1,000,000 Posts
Ready to Unleash the Millionaire Entrepreneur in You?
Become a member of the Fastlane Forum, the private community founded by best-selling author and multi-millionaire entrepreneur MJ DeMarco. Since 2007, MJ DeMarco has poured his heart and soul into the Fastlane Forum, helping entrepreneurs reclaim their time, win their financial freedom, and live their best life.
With more than 39,000 posts packed with insights, strategies, and advice, you’re not just a member—you’re stepping into MJ’s inner-circle, a place where you’ll never be left alone.
Become a member and gain immediate access to...
- Active Community: Ever join a community only to find it DEAD? Not at Fastlane! As you can see from our home page, life-changing content is posted dozens of times daily.
- Exclusive Insights: Direct access to MJ DeMarco’s daily contributions and wisdom.
- Powerful Networking Opportunities: Connect with a diverse group of successful entrepreneurs who can offer mentorship, collaboration, and opportunities.
- Proven Strategies: Learn from the best in the business, with actionable advice and strategies that can accelerate your success.
"You are the average of the five people you surround yourself with the most..."
Who are you surrounding yourself with? Surround yourself with millionaire success. Join Fastlane today!
Join Today